2.1.1. To Configure the Behavior of the Mouse
The following sections describe how to modify the behavior of the mouse
to suit your needs.
2.1.1.1. To Configure the Mouse for Left-Handed Use
To configure the mouse for left-handed use, click on the Buttons tab in the Mouse Preferences dialog,
then select the Left-handed mouse option. When you select
this option, the system swaps the functions of the left mouse button and the
right mouse button immediately.
2.1.1.2. To Configure the Double-Click Behavior
If you have difficulty double-clicking, you can increase the period
of time that the system allows to elapse between the first click and the second
click of a double-click. For example, if the double-click timeout setting
is 0.4 seconds, you must perform the second click of a double-click within
0.4 seconds of the first click. If the second click occurs more than 0.4 seconds
after the first click, the system interprets the two clicks as two single
clicks.
To configure the double-click timeout setting, perform the following
steps:
Click on the Buttons tab in the Mouse Preferences dialog.
Use the Delay slider to specify the timeout
in seconds that the system allows between the two clicks of a double-click.
Double-click on the light bulb to the right of the slider
to test the setting. If you perform the two clicks of the double-click within
the timeout specified, the light bulb lights up fully to display a yellow
glow around the bulb. If you do not double-click within the timeout specified,
the light bulb does not light fully. You should increase the timeout setting
and try again. When the light bulb lights, the timeout setting is suitable
for your needs.
2.1.1.3. To Configure the Speed and Sensitivity of the Mouse
To configure the speed and sensitivity of the mouse, perform the following
steps:
Click on the Motion tab in the Mouse Preferences dialog.
Configure the following options:
- Acceleration
Use the slider to specify
the speed at which the mouse pointer moves around the screen when you move
your mouse.
If you select a low setting, the mouse pointer moves at a speed similar
to the speed at which you are physically moving the mouse. This means that
you need to physically move the mouse larger distances to cover the screen
area. If you select a high setting, the mouse pointer moves at a faster speed
than the speed at which you are physically moving the mouse. This means that
you need to physically move the mouse small distances to cover the screen
area.
- Sensitivity
Use the slider to specify
how sensitive the mouse pointer is to movements of your mouse.
- Threshold
Use the slider to specify
the distance that you must move an item before the system interprets the move
action as a drag-and-drop action.
2.1.1.4. To Locate the Mouse Pointer
If you have difficulty locating the mouse pointer on the screen, you
can enable an option to highlight the pointer when you press the Control key. To enable this option, click on the Cursors tab in the Mouse Preferences dialog, then
select the Show position of cursor when the Control key is pressed option. When you press Control, the system displays
an animation around the pointer to highlight the pointer.
 | Note |
|---|
On some platforms, you must log out and log in again before this
setting takes effect. |
2.1.2. To Configure the Mouse Pointer
The following sections describe how to modify the display characteristics
of the pointer.
2.1.2.1. To Change the Pointer
To select the type of pointer that is displayed on the desktop, perform
the following steps:
Click on the Cursors tab in the Mouse Preferences dialog.
Select one of the following themes from the pointer themes
that are listed in the Cursor Theme list box:
Default Cursor
Displays the default black pointer.
White Cursor
Displays a white pointer that is the same size as the default pointer.
Large Cursor
Displays a large black pointer.
Large White Cursor
Displays a large white pointer.
To change the pointer theme, you must log out of your session
and log in again.
2.1.2.2. To Stop the Cursor Blinking
To stop the cursor blinking in text boxes and fields, perform the following
steps:
Choose Applications->Desktop Preferences->Keyboard to start the Keyboard
preference tool.
In the Keyboard tabbed section, deselect
the Blinks in text boxes and fields option.
